


Tactical Retreat

by PurpleProse4



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Blood and Injury, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Minor Violence, My First Work in This Fandom, Other, Rewrite, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:09:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29436585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleProse4/pseuds/PurpleProse4
Summary: You hadn't realized how dire things were until his voice had faltered. | adult [Y/N] Master/Lord-El Melloi II. a rewrite of "The cost of arrogance" by ToxicWaste_K. when your overconfidence gets the Caster injured, it's up to you to rectify the damage and make it out of the Berserker battle alive.
Relationships: Lord-El Melloi II/Reader, Waver Velvet/Reader, Zhuge Kongming | Caster/Reader
Kudos: 3





	Tactical Retreat

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The cost of arrogance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15798663) by [ToxicWaste_K](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToxicWaste_K/pseuds/ToxicWaste_K). 



> happy Valentine's Day! to commemorate it, I decided to post a rewrite I've had for a while about one of my favourite Fate characters. Things were either kept (mostly story elements but some dialogue was kept too), changed or built upon from the original fic; I wanted to re-imagine it in more detail and with more chemistry. It's my hope that I've achieved this in at least some extent.

You gazed at the cliffside, its granite surface towering over your team like a castle. Mid-afternoon sky stretched out in saturated blues; its sun rays battered mercilessly on your face, forcing you to put one hand on your forehead.  
  
A piercing roar sounded, and tall grass brushed briefly against your ankles. It was immediately followed by stomping. _Damn._ You swore to yourself. _Another group already?  
  
_The missions in Babylonia had been particularly tough, forcing you to adapt quickly with its Demon Beasts. A combination of strategy, shrewd luck and sheer power allowed your team to cut through them, only sustaining minor injuries. However, nothing had destabilized its foundation quite like hulking Berserkers. With wave after wave of unrelenting, brute force, you'd barely managed to hold them back thus far. _  
  
_“It seems we’re not finished yet.” Mash observed aloud, raising her shield. Though it’d served immensely in blocking and parrying Demonic Beast attacks, it was yet to show one scratch-an effect passed down from Galahad.  
  
“Yeah.” Emiya confirmed, briefly squinting above as well. His archer abilities were perfect for the rock foundations dominating this area. A shot from his arrow caught most monsters off-guard, allowing Mash to deliver the final blows. “They’re 500 meters farther than last time, so we’ve got a few minutes.”  
  
You inclined your head. “Thank you.” Then, with some hesitation, you turned to Lord-El Melloi II. “…I’d like you to step in again. What should we do?”  
  
“Yes, Master.” He stood farthest behind your group, his preferred spot over the numerous missions you’d brought him onto. The tactician’s black suit was sharp-both dress-wise and in contrast to the colorful environment-though he stood somewhat far from you three, and thus was difficult to view. “Hmm, let’s see…”  
  
Lord-El Melloi II lent his strengths to Chaldea through battleground boosts and tactical advice. Most times the careful preparations involved him, though he’d also throw the occasional interjection just before or during a fight. While his plans weren’t perfect, there hadn’t been a battle you’d lost so far when he was brought to battle.  
  
In fact, you'd reasoned long ago that with the Caster by your side, nothing could go wrong. It was a spot of luck that he'd been summoned to Chaldea, even-well, _especially_ -when he'd first appeared in that chamber, crackles of electricity and dust fading to reveal his tall frame. Lord-El Melloi II had held a steeled gaze you'd soon come to know well. It remained firm as he guided you and your teammates-both on the battlefield and out of it-and softened once when you'd walked up to him, a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other.

After seeing your lack of mage skills on the battleground, he'd insisted on teaching _you._ You were aghast by this at first, out of sheer embarrassment, but saw the necessity of improving your spellcasting regardless. Day after day, you'd meet with him at some established location-usually the library or one of Chaldea's workshops-and your spells were slowly improving under his tutelage. At first attending out of necessity, you found yourself doing so out of enjoyment, too. A stern but fair teacher, he always encouraged you to push yourself the best you could while celebrating your successes. In return, you maintained a precarious balance between facing your challenges and not overextending past your abilities.It was the way his tone became lighter when discussing a topic of interest, such as adapting to the modern era or tips on harnessing elemental magic.

It was how he used the battlefield to his advantage; even as a defense Servant, he moved about with a serious yet confident stance. You always loved seeing wind or fire erupt from his hands, no matter how many times he said that the magic was rudimentary. (Insisting that it was still of use always resulted in a quiet “thank you.”) Sometimes you both shared the work of planning complicated tactical maneuvers, then shared a satisfied grin when they eventually led to success.

It was even in the way you both exchanged harrowing stories of adulthood, one common experience being when a younger Servant was behaving immaturely-where either him or you were the only ones around.

You weren't sure if he returned your feelings, but there were times you felt hopeful regardless. When you'd shared that wine with him, he'd paused before taking his first sip, remarking that you weren't just an excellent student but a good companion as well. The memory always made you smile, despite the harrowing situations you entered.

Frequently bringing Lord-El Melloi II to battle wasn't part of your romantic interest in him, and thankfully it never had been. With him you'd gotten numerous successes, however, and your confidence grew as a result-even when the easy victories turned to narrow ones. You’d reasoned to yourself that if it weren't for the Caster, these battles would never be won otherwise.

When you began to base more of your strategies around him, he didn't question them at first. In fact, at times he'd shown a hint of a proud smile before unleashing his magic. More recently, though, the tactician began displaying a frown here, a tonally neutral response there. He never disobeyed you, but signs of his concern were apparent.  
  
Then, yesterday, Romani had asked him to join you on your next meeting. Lord-El Melloi II had agreed with such a sageness that you knew something was certainly amiss. Later, you found that he and the doctor wanted to warn you against your crutch.

"[Y/N], you really should give Caster a break." Romani had argued. It was early morning, and the room in the background was buzzing with workers; as such, he spoke quietly, though his tone was urgent. "He's been fighting almost near-constantly since you've rayshifted to Babylon. I know our resources are stretched thin-especially our quartz-but we _have_ other servants from his class on hand. Why not bring in someone else, like Merlin or Cú?”

"No, I can't." You'd stubbornly refused. "They can't fight or take control of the battlefield like he can. If we want to restore this singularity and humanity, shouldn't we be pulling out all the stops?"

"I understand that, but..." He'd looked back at his computer screen, a bevy of numbers and letters surrounding him as he clicked and typed. "...ah, here it is. I was going to share this with him anyway, but I also think this you should know this now, before you do anything rash. Yesterday, I got the results of his defense systems."

You'd nodded sagely, despite your frustration. A series of tests and observations Lord-El Melloi II had consented to paved way for Romani to call him a "Pseudo-Servant". The term had also been used for numerous theories; one of these was how much damage Pseudo-Servants could bear from attacks, which up until then was still being researched. "And...?"

"He's very weak in that respect. There's a large pool of health within him that can be used as a buffer, but it shouldn't be heavily relied upon. Especially now, considering the class of enemies that lie ahead…it’s a huge risk.”

"You cannot wholly hinge battle plans on me, [Y/N]." Lord-El Melloi II had sternly agreed. He’d been quietly observing the exchange until now, standing beside you. "If ever I don’t have enough mana for my Noble Phantasm, or if that itself doesn't deter our foes, you'll need a secondary plan."

You'd fallen quiet then, for a moment too long. He and the doctor were correct, but you didn't want to agree. Changing tactics was something you were afraid of, so comfortable with your current ones so far that adapting to a new set felt too out of reach. Besides, considering the number of successes so far, what could there be to lose?

"Look, it'll be fine. I can’t do this without him. Trust me-I’ll make sure that we win.” It was truly all you could finish your argument with, though you mustered it with as much insistence possible.  
  
It was then that Lord-El Melloi II gave you a look that made your heart plummet. With a crinkled forehead and slanted eyebrows, he appeared dismayed. Seeing that, then realizing his disappointment in your decision, had made you look away.

Romani had sighed, running a hand through his carrot-coloured hair. "Well...ultimately, it's your choice, of course. Still, though-don't overestimate yourself. Above all else, don't overwork him, please."  
  
Although you’d affirmed to both men your agreement on both directives, Caster hadn’t said a word to you afterwards. Finding the strength to meet his gaze was impossible nonetheless.

As you and your team headed to the area of battle, you felt especially determined to win-to show Romani and Lord-El Melloi II that you could succeed. You'd thus approached the battlefield with a steeled look on your eyes.

Things had seemed fine at first. With your careful planning beforehand, and Lord-El Melloi II’s stratagem assistance, he, Mash and Emiya had managed to defeat the first and second set of enemies. Still, the Berserker beasts often sent him flying, leaving him increasingly battered and bruised afterwards. It was concerning-you hoped that each wave would be the last-but you insisted that everyone needed to hold on and keep going. This was the last battle in the area; being stubborn, retreating was not an option in your mind.

At least, not up until the tactician had issued his next set of tactics orders, that was. You hadn't realized how dire things were until his voice had faltered.

"…Mash, put some space between you and the upclimb this time." He commanded, squinting up at the rocks above them. "Charge in front of the beasts while Emiya keeps flanking them from the hills. Make sure to do so on my signal; I'll need space to weaken..." He trailed off, his strong tone fluctuating. "...to weaken them..."

"Lord-El Melloi!" You exclaimed, running up to him while he stumbled back so his collapse was in your arms. Thankfully, you managed to bear the brunt of his fall despite your shorter height, though you could feel your legs buckling. He mumbled something about there being an "II" in that title before going limp.

Mash's mouth was agape. Her covering it with a hand didn’t hide the now-fallen face, now holding a mournful expression. Emiya’s eyes narrowed. His facial features became tight as the grip around his bow stiffened.

"Is he...?" The pink-haired girl asked, hesitant. Her voice held concern for her teammate and fear for the worst outcome.

You put a hand to the Caster’s neck. "He's stable." You confirmed, your own voice shaky. "I'll get him out of the Berserkers’ view-you two will need to take care of the fighting." You briefly glanced at the mountain, seeing the monsters come closer to view. Moving with tremendous speed, you knew they'd approach the area within seconds. "Just hold them off for now."

Their mouths now set, the two remaining Servants nodded.

"Understood, Master!" Mash confirmed, charging into the battlefield.

Emiya deftly jumped onto a cliffside, then another, his gaze on you the entire time. "You shouldn't depend so much on him." He remarked before heading off to assist Mash.

 _I know._ You thought mournfully, carrying Lord-El Melloi II to a tree-far enough from the battle, but close enough so you could watch and issue orders if need be. Your legs and arms burned, and you found yourself wiping sweat from your neck as you set him down. _Looks like I'll need a lot more power training._ You bit your lip slightly, trying not to cry. _Well, more training in general._

A pang of anguish and remorse continued to come over you. He and Romani were right; how could you have insisted that the lord make up so many of these strategies? Putting his health-and now life-on the line, all the while reasoning that this was a mission that could be handled regardless...it was stupidity, first and foremost.

Assessing his injuries only gave you more guilt, but you looked anyway, determined to get a sense of his condition and take responsibility. It was only then, kneeling, that you fully realized how much he’d been hurt. Lord-El Melloi II's suit and tie were near-completely torn, the marks more jagged than the cracks in his glasses. Flesh and blood were exposed in some places-some wounds fresh, others reopened. His face was seemingly untouched at first glance, but as you pushed some of his hair away for a better view, he flinched slightly. You winced, turning away from him as tears pooled in your eyes. _Damn it! This is all my fault...I should’ve changed Servants when I had the chance._

"[Y/N]!" Mash cried, strained shock in her voice. “There’s an incoming Berserker!”

Looking back up, your eyes widened as a smaller beast broke free from Mash's defense and charged towards you. She glanced towards her current position, then towards you, shifting slightly. Protecting her master was of the utmost importance, but she couldn’t afford to break her stance now. Otherwise, everyone would perish today.

"Mash, hold your position. I've got this!" You called out with as much energy as you could muster, wiping your eyes. Your recklessness had gotten your team into these dire straits, and it had gotten your best strategist, defensive servant and teacher-someone _dear_ to you-wounded; it was not only time to atone, but to protect your Servants. Doing so was a master’s duty.

You stood up, shielding Lord-El Melloi II as best as you could while positioning yourself in a casting stance. Despite all your learning, the best damage you could deal was from a long range. It would take good timing to incapacitate the Berserker before it reached you-or worse, the strategist.

 _No pressure._ You thought to yourself, wincing slightly. Still, not willing to give up, you raised your hands high.

"I-" In an instant, your hands crackled gold, ice dancing between your fingertips. "-will blast you _to hell!_ "

Lord-El Melloi II came to consciousness just as snow crystals pierced the creature. Most of them bumped against it and were crushed underfoot, but a few pierced its stomach and legs, causing it to fade away in an instant. He couldn’t help but break into a smile, the ensuing pain stopping him halfway. Although you'd callously ignored important advice, thus causing him grievous harm and putting the mission-along with the team-in danger...

 _...they really want to save us._ He thought, reflecting on the parallels to his own life. A reckless, egotistical person being enlightened, then striving for something bigger than themselves-who knew? "Stupid..." he found himself grunting out, letting loose a weak chuckle afterwards.

"What are you doing?" You gaped, turning towards him. "You're injured-you should be sitting down!" You exclaimed, a mixture of shock and relief in your voice as you walked up to him.

Lord-El Melloi II gave one long, calculated look. "You've still got a long way to go, you know. Don't get ahead of yourself."

"You're in pain!"

"We have other matters on our hands."

He was far from being incorrect, this only being proven as an explosion suddenly rippled through your ears. You barely managed to catch sight of an orange bloom before seeing Emiya. His teeth were gritted, and his red cloak was tattered. He’d been ambushed, and several beasts were getting the jump on him. Mash's stance below the cliffs meant that he was forced to defend himself against them alone, slashes and charges unleashed as they vied to knock him down. Fortunately, the archer’s bladework was feverish, but it wouldn't last.

You felt frozen in place, wanting to help but not sure how. A blast from your mana now would barely slight one of the Berkerkers near him. Your healing magics still needed time to charge, too, and by then the archer would be swarmed.

"What are you doing, hesitating like that?" Lord-El Melloi II asked sharply. You were prepared to tell him to sit down, _again_ -he barely wiped off beads of perspiration from his face, his stance was so weak that he was leaning on the tree for support-but he noted something that made you stop: “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about those.” He gestured to your right hand.

You switched your view to the saturated red of your command seals. "It could work," you admitted, "but we'd need a good spell to amplify its speed-both at the rate it heals _you_ and when your Noble Phantasm reaches the beasts.”

"Correct." He made eye contact with you. "A lovecast amplification spell should work, even on my Pseudo-Servant form."

" _What?_ " You blinked back hard. He'd only touched briefly on it, and for good reason. "That's only used in a romantic context, right? You yourself told me that it would only work if the pining was..." Your eyes widened as you tapered off. "...reciprocal..."

The tactician looked away briefly, his cheeks flushed red. "Yes, that's all true."

"How long have you felt this way?" You blurted out, feeling blush form on your own cheeks. "When did you find-"

"Let's discuss that _after_ we escape this situation alive." Lord-El Melloi II declared. Knowing he was right, you nodded. He then continued: "The amplification itself has to come from a mutual display of great affection, least the spell be weakened."

"All right, so..." You trailed off. The idea had formed instantly in your head, but suggesting it-to _him,_ of all people-still felt surreal. "...how about a kiss?"

His eyebrows raised. "Really? Are you sure you don’t want to share one sometime else?"

"Now look at who's asking the questions!" You quipped, and his facial colour deepened even more. "Sorry, sorry. Look, it's fine. I don't care about where or when it is-I'm sharing it with you, and that's what counts." You explained assuredly. "If you want our kiss to be at another time and place, though, that's okay."

"No." He replied, his voice a touch demure. "I just wanted to see if you were fine with the exchange. Not just for the spell, but as..."

"Partners?" You asked, and he nodded briefly. "Thanks. That means a lot." you admitted with a smile, which he returned.

With one hand, you held Lord-El Melloi II's neck and jaw on one side. The battle's roaring and metal clashes left your ears when you leaned in, gently placing your lips on his. Pushing your body upwards, you rested your other hand on his neck. Your command seals flared, a smoldering feeling twinging on your right hand as two of them dissipated. They barely tinged compared to this moment.

Soon, Sangiovese and cigar notes played on your mouth as he returned the kiss. He put one hand to the side, slowly lifting it as his health-and strength-returned. Lord-El Melloi II’s other hand and its arm came to rest on your hip; while pausing to draw a breath, he pulled you closer at the same time. You felt your torso press against his as he tilted his head a little, then deepened the embrace.

Mash threw her shield, blocking Archer from a Berserker's claws in the nick of time. She looked up, anticipating another lunge from the monsters-and was completely blindsided as clouds above parted way for red pillars, entrapping the enemies in place. Shortly thereafter, their cries turned to silence.

Sensing an opening, she nodded towards the archer. He rushed in first, Mash retrieving her weapon before running in as well. It wasn’t long before they walked away from the dissipating maze, exchanging expressions of relief.

“That was close.” Emiya noted, taking this moment to sit on the rocks and exhale sharply. “Very close.”

“Agreed.” Mash replied. “Thank goodness Master came through for us.” Briefly, she turned down below, finding you and—after a flinch, she quickly turned back to the archer. “It seems Lord-El Melloi II has fully recovered, too!” She hurriedly confirmed, embarrassed-but also relieved.

The ground beneath you all wobbled lightly and briefly, heavy footsteps accompanying it. She and Archer aimed their weapons towards the noise's direction, ready for anything-

Your right hand went alight a final time, and Lord-El Melloi II felt another boost of mana surge through him. Breaking the lip lock, he held out his free arm again to cast, this time verbally: “This is the ultimate form of the Great Tactician, _Unreturning Formation._ Break it if you can.”

You briefly pivoted your head up again, watching pillars rain down for a second time. For the first time since you’d started this battle, you let yourself grin. _Finally._ You thought. _Thank goodness it’s over._ Then, you looked at Lord-El Melloi II, feeling your expression soften. "I'm so glad you're okay," you said at last, "and I...I'm absolutely sorry for pushing you so hard. Next time, I'll make sure to listen to you and Romani more closely."

He pondered the apology for a moment, then nodded. “You’re forgiven. You saving me from the beast proved to me you could be. Make sure you're not so careless next time, though. Remember what you've learned today, and don't let this happen again."

"Of course. I won’t forget that-I promise." You confirmed, and he gave you a smile again. Seeing this, you chuckled, looking out at the hilltop. "We've got a lot to talk about when we come back, hunh?"

"Clearly." He confirmed, gazing at the scenery as well. Mash and Emiya were now ascending the hill, discussing between themselves as they did so. "How should we go about it?"

"I'm not sure, either..." You became aware that he'd kept the one hand on your hip, a gesture that sent butterflies swirling in your stomach upon realizing it. "...but I know we'll figure it out. I think a romantic rendezvous would help, though. Will you go out with me?"

At first, the strategist's face became rubescent again, but he managed to respond with a hint of shyness. "...I know of a secluded garden in Chaldea. Irisveil's been tending to it since she was summoned, but the room is seldom used otherwise. It's also on an open patio, and tonight's supposed to be clear."

Soon, you noticed your and Lord-El Melloi II’s physical body dissipating as the rayshift back to base began. You leaned your side on his shoulder, feeling a deep warmth stirring-both from this physical affection and beyond.

"All right-it's a date." You replied whilst fading from the area.


End file.
